Survive the Night: A Novel

Charlie wakes in her bed in her dorm room at Olyphant. She notices, however, that she is not in the bed but floating over it. Maddy appears next to her with champagne and cake, as is her tradition for Charlie’s birthday. She wishes Charlie a happy birthday. Maddy then smiles, revealing a missing tooth. The gap bleeds onto Charlie’s cake.

Charlie wakes in real life, now in the diner’s storeroom. Marge has tied her to a wooden chair with ropes. Charlie calls for help, only to find Marge standing in the storeroom. Marge tells her to stay quiet. When Charlie asks Marge if she plans to kill her, Marge says she is not sure. They both hear a car and a man’s voice. Before Charlie can scream, Marge puts a gag in her mouth. As Charlie realizes it is Robbie, Marge pulls out a gun, telling her she will shoot him if Charlie makes any noise. She then opens the door and tells Robbie that the diner is closed. Robbie asks Marge if she saw Charlie and tells her she told him she was in danger. Marge says she saw her with a man but she did not seem to be in any danger.